No, it’s none of these. They are all made of paper to look just like the real thing, and sold for burning as offerings to ancestors at the Hungry Ghosts festival which falls this year on 24th August in the Western calendar. This is celebrated in Chinese communities around the world on the fourteenth day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. Chinese people believe that if their ancestors are well cared for in the afterlife, they will look after those left on earth. So this is an occasion when ancestors are honoured with gifts.
Hungry Ghosts Festival on August 24th 2010
Known in Chinese as Yue Lan, the festival is held to remember those who died in an accident, who died without male descendants, and for those not given a proper burial. At this time, the gate to the underworld is thrown open and ghosts can come back to the human world for a change of scene.
Shops Selling Paper Offerings
Not everyone believes in ghosts, but for those who do, it is wise to placate them by offering the same gifts that are normally given to the rest of the deceased. Paper money and offerings are burnt by the roadside where the accident took place, or else in an incinerator in a designated area, to appease the ghosts. When the items are burned, the smoke carries the item to the recipient. After a month of feasting and receiving gifts, they must then return to Hades, and the gate to hell is locked for another year.
Shops selling traditional paper offerings are found in the old districts and market towns of Hong Kong, as well as in many communities in China. The shops are stacked from floor to ceiling with boxes of red candles, rolls of saffron-coloured incense, bundles of Hell bank notes, gold-coloured pots to hold the joss sticks, the T’ung Shu almanac giving dates of the current year’s festivals, and red enamelled incinerator bins for burning ceremonial papers at home.
VSOP Brandy, Coca Cola and Mercedes Cars
Behind the counter, shelves are filled with boxes of offerings made of decorated paper, and folded to realistically represent the item to be burnt. For male ancestors, there are boxed sets of a western suit with a shirt and tie; a bottle of VSOP brandy with cans of Coke and beer; shoes in both the traditional black cloth style and the latest brand of trainers; and wallets and credit cards arranged in a gift box.
For female ancestors there is a choice of western dress or old style sam; gold high-heeled sandals; and gift sets of jewellery, watches, and cosmetics. For all, there are familiar brands of medicines, pills and potions, and toiletries such as a set of toothpaste packed with false teeth and a well-used toothbrush. Everything is wrapped in cellophane for protection, to be removed before the contents are burned.
Hanging from the ceiling are bundles of camcorders, rice cookers, televisions and telephones, all marked with the latest brand names, and models of Mercedes cars. Many of the deceased died before these were popular, or couldn’t afford the best brandy or car in their lifetime. But there is no reason why they should not enjoy the finer things in life after death.
“Our ancestors also need to follow trends, just as living people do,” explains the owner of one shop. “These products have been in fashion for the past ten years, and show people nowadays are becoming more materialistic. Before this people would only burn Hell paper money and joss sticks.”
Canto-pop Idol Roman Tam
For the rich and famous, the offerings can cost a princely sum. When Canto-pop legend Roman Tam died in 2002, more than 1,000 fans attended his funeral. The elaborate ceremony was believed to cost over a US $1 million. Paper offerings for the singer included a limousine, a private jet and even a private beach for his personal use in the next world.
Which just goes to prove, you can take it with you when you go.
Valery Garrett - I was born in England but I’ve lived in Hong Kong for over thirty years. At first I worked as a fashion designer for some large ...
